Notes on Olympic 100m Final - Noah Lyles' Performance

Introduction

• Noah Lyles from the United States wins gold medal in Olympic finals.
• Sets new personal record time of 9.79 seconds.
• Defeats Kain Thompson from Jamaica, who also ran a time of 9.79 seconds.

Race Overview

• The finishing times were so close that officials required an analytical breakdown.
• Noah Lyles officially clocked in at 9.784 seconds, narrowly defeating Thompson's 9.789.
• This is noted as the closest finish in men's 100m history.
• Discussion about how small time differences are significant (e.g., 5/1000 of a second).

Split Times Analysis

• Lyles' initial 40m split time: 4.76 seconds (last place by 40m).
• Comparison to previous times: slower than what he’s capable of.
• From 40m to 60m:
  • Lyles moves from 8th to 3rd place.
  • Achieves 10m splits of 0.85s and 0.83s.
  • Reaches 60m mark in 6.44 seconds, close to his personal best.

Competitors' Performance

• Fred Curley and Kain Thompson at 60m: both clocked 6.41 seconds.
• Curley’s split was 0.14 seconds faster than his personal indoor record.

Final 40m Performance

• Noah's last 40m splits: 0.82s, 0.83s, 0.84s, and 0.86s.
• Final clocking of 3.35 seconds for the last 40m.
• Lyles becomes one of only 13 athletes to break 9.80 seconds in the 100m.

Reaction Times

• Reaction times ranked:
  • Fred Curley had the fastest reaction.
  • Noah Lyles at 0.178 seconds (tied for the slowest with another athlete).
• If Lyles had a reaction time of 0.13-0.14s, he would have entered top historical times.

Historical Context

• Lyles' victory ends a 20-year gold medal drought for American athletes in this event.
• The race recorded the fastest depth in Olympic history:
  • Seven athletes clocked under 9.90 seconds, surpassing previous records.
  • Closest previous record had four athletes under 9.90 in 2012 Olympic finals.

Special Mentions

• Oblique Seville from Jamaica finished in 5th place with a time of 9.91 seconds.
  • Disappointment as he clocked 9.81 seconds in semis.
• Aidan Sine from South Africa achieved a national record with a time of 9.82 seconds.

Conclusion

• Lyles' performance has sparked discussions about the future of sprinting.
• Questions posed to audience regarding their thoughts on Lyles' 9.79 second performance and potential for faster times in the future.